The project includes the replacement of lining of deteriorated storm drainpipes, grinding and overlay of existing pavement, upgrading of ADA (American Disability Act) ramps, replacement of limited sidewalk and installation of red concrete crosswalks. The public is encouraged to attend to see the proposed improvements and provide public input.

Sitka Trail Works, in partnership with the City and Borough of Sitka, is planning Phase 6 improvements to the Sitka Cross Trail system. A public meeting to receive comment on the project will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Detailed maps and information about this project will be shared at this meeting.

The Phase 6 project will build a new multi-use component of the Cross Trail system extending from the Harbor Mountain Road to Starrigavan. The public input received at the public meeting will be a major factor in determining the final trail alignment.

Questions about the project may be directed to Lynne Brandon of Sitka Trail Works at 747-7244 or trail@gci.net. Please send an email or written comments may be mailed to Sitka Trail Works at 801 Halibut Point Road, Sitka, Alaska, 99835. Comments need to be received by Dec. 14.

Sitka Trail Works will hold its annual meeting and potluck dinner from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, at the Harrigan Centennial Hall.

Members and trail enthusiasts are invited to the meeting and asked to bring a main dish, side dish, or dessert to share. Sitka Trail Works will supply beverages, paper plates, etc. Join us for an evening of fun and friendship.

Meeting highlights include a review of this year’s accomplishments, the election of one new board member, ceremonial matters, and a presentation by Matt Goff on the Natural History of Southeast Alaska.

The festivities started with free bike mechanic checks, then reflective safety vests were distributed and Mayor Mim McConnell led cyclists on a short bike parade from the Crescent Harbor Shelter to Sitka National Historical Park and back (due to police staffing issues, our route was changed from the original plan to ride through downtown on Lincoln Street).

After giving out some prizes for the best decorated bikes, the cyclists then headed out to Halibut Point Recreation Area State Park for a cookout of rockfish, hot dogs and veggie burgers. Scenes from the Sitka Community Bike Ride and Cookout are in the slideshow below.

The Sitka Community Bike Ride and Cookout is the perfect way to celebrate the spring and National Bike Month in May.

Join us on Saturday, May 23, outside of Harrigan Centennial Hall as we host a short kid-friendly bike parade through downtown starting at 3 p.m. (get there early for quick bike tune-up and for contest judging for the best decorated bikes). After our parade through downtown and some contest awards at Harrigan Centennial Hall, we’ll bike out to Halibut Point Recreation Area starting at 3:45 p.m. for a cookout about 4:30 p.m.

Our bike maintenance specialists will be available to assist cyclists from 1:30-3 p.m. outside Harrigan Centennial Hall. They will be able to check chains, brakes, tire pressure and other minor maintenance needs.

At the cookout we will have hamburgers, hot dogs, fish, and other items to grill, but feel free to bring other food to share in case we have a big crowd. We held a community bike ride a few years ago that had about 300-350 cyclists, so let’s see if we can top that crowd.

Since we will be on busy city streets for this event, we encourage everybody to wear helmets and bright clothing for safety reasons. All cyclists should ride on the right side of the road (with traffic) and ride in a predictable manner. We ask drivers to be aware there will be a lot of cyclists out on May 23 and to please slow down and give them a safe space to ride. Thanks.

For more information, contact the Sitka Conservation Society at 747-7509

SAFETY ASSESSMENT: Top photo: Sitka Parks and Recreation Manager Lynne Brandon, left, and Paul Wistrand of the Federal Highway Authority’s Juneau office, second from left, get set to lead a group of cyclists down Halibut Point Road on Thursday, May 7. The tour was part of a safety assessment conducted through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Safer People, Safer Streets” initiative. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx mandated federal, state and local communities do walking and cycling safety assessments, and Wistrand said they chose Sitka for Alaska’s first safety assessments. In addition to the cycling safety assessment, walking tours were held from downtown to the Alaska Raptor Center on Thursday and along Katlian Street on Wednesday, May 6. Bottom photo: Paul Wistrand leads a group of cyclists on a safety assessment that included Halibut Point Road. (Daily Sitka Sentinel Photos by James Poulson)

Lauren Havens of the Sitka School District’s LiveWell Program and Doug Osborne of the Sitka Community Hospital Health Promotion program hang a banner on the Crescent Harbor basketball court fence on Thursday (April 30) to promote National Bike Month in May. A full slate of events for the month is planned in Sitka. On Saturday, May 2, the Rotary Club of Sitka hosts the annual Sitka Bike Rodeo at 11 a.m. at U.S. Coast Guard-Air Station Sitka. Wednesday, May 6, is National Bike to School Day, May 11-15 is National Bike to Work Week, and Friday, May 15, is National Bike to Work Day. (Daily Sitka Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

National Bike Month kicked off today (Friday, May 1), and Sitka residents are encouraged to find ways to get out and ride your bike this month.

We posted a schedule of National Bike Month events in April, and we’ll continue to post details for individual events as we receive more information. So far our schedule includes the Sitka Bike Rodeo for kids, National Bike to School Day, our annual National Bike to Work Week drawing for those who commute to work or school by bike, our annual National Bike to Work Day pancake breakfast, a series of walking and biking safety assessments, a series of school presentations on bike safety to kids, the Julie Hughes Triathlon, a Southeast Alaska Independent Living-ORCA program bike day, and the Sitka Community Bike Ride and Cookout.

In addition, Sitka cyclists are encouraged to join with thousands of others from around the country as they ride in the third annual National Bike Challenge, a free event that runs from May 1 through Sept. 30.

Cyclists can ride as individuals, for their workplaces or on other teams, and the mileage they log also will help their cities and states in the rankings. This event launched in 2012, but some changes this year and last year will make it easier for people to participate. The challenge was extended a month last year, so it now is five months long and covers the entire summer. The 2015 goal is for 75,000 cyclists around the country to ride 35 million miles from May 1 through Sept. 30.

Participants can record the miles of their commute to work, as well as logging their various errands around town and pleasure rides, just so long as they ride an actual bike. It doesn’t count if people use exercise bikes or other machines.

It’s easy to participate. Just go to the website, create a profile and log in your miles. You also can join teams from the website. For those of you with smartphones, there are three apps available for free for iPhone, Android and several other devices, and their global-positioning system tracking will record your workouts directly into your profile. The apps also will record workouts in other sports besides cycling, such as walking, kayaking, and even dancing.

There already are several teams in Alaska, including one called Sitka Cyclists that Sitka residents can join. Two years ago we also had a couple of workplace teams, including a team from the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus, and more Sitka teams are encouraged so we can get a little friendly competition going. For those who miss the May 1 start date, if you’ve been riding you can back-record your workouts so long as you create a profile before the end of May. There are monthly prizes (awarded by random draw to cyclists nationwide who score a certain number of points), and additional prizes at the end of the contest.